BARK BARKhttp://www.barkbark.com
Brands. Content. Experience. brand + integrationTue, 15 Aug 2017 20:16:04 +0000en-UShourly1BARK BARK Invests In The Future: Three Employees Made Company Partnershttp://www.barkbark.com/bark-bark-invests-in-the-future/
Fri, 28 Jul 2017 11:00:38 +0000http://www.barkbark.com/?p=13874July 27, 2017 – ATLANTA, GA- Award-winning Advertainment studio BARK BARK is excited to announce new partners. Backed by new investment, several key employees at BARK BARK have taken equity positions in the company. Creative Director Daniel Sattelmeyer, Head of Production Tabitha Mason-Elliott, and Studio Executive Ann Daykin Mohammadione, now collectively own a majority stake in BARK BARK. Karen Grant, SVP of Client Partnership, retains her equity position as an officer of the company as well.

“I’m thrilled and proud that the incredible management team that has worked so hard to build this firm will now run the business, especially at this time of great recognition and overall success,” said Brian Tolleson, BARK BARK’s founder & managing partner, who will stay on for the next several years, continuing to contribute to the company and work hands-on with BARK BARK’s loyal clients.

The future is bright for BARK BARK, which, after over 10 years, continues to thrive, having seen impressive growth in the first six months of 2017. The company announced major partnerships with some of the world’s most successful content creators earlier this year, and will be announcing several more new initiatives in the coming months.

In speaking about the industry at large, Tolleson remarks, “I’m hoping this inspires more studio owners to invest in the future by sharing ownership with key employees. What’s your real legacy? We have a responsibility to share success, and help move loyal people forward, otherwise we’re just “the boss” in the Dolly Parton song. I think that empowerment is what future-thinking firms look like.”

BARK BARK is made of the world’s leading content professionals, and industry-leading creative partners authentically delivering millions of viewers every day through brand partnerships, branded entertainment and original marketing-driven content. The award winning studio is known for its collaborations with Viacom, Scripps Networks, Discovery Communications, A + E Networks, NBCUniversal, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Warner Bros., Pernod Ricard, Orbitz, Hershey’s, Toyota, Subaru, Microsoft, P&G, Geico, and many more.

]]>Inclusive advertising can yield shocking resultshttp://www.barkbark.com/inclusive-advertising-can-yield-shocking-results/
Fri, 02 Jun 2017 14:54:58 +0000http://www.barkbark.com/?p=13799I’ve been marketing media and advertiser brands all over the world for over 20 years, including launching Logo, the first-ever 24/7/365 LGBT media brand. From 30-second commercials in the golden, pre-digital days (looking back I call those “the easy days”), to today, leading social media and VR projects, scrapping it out for microscopic millennial attention spans. Nothing prepared me or my team, however, for what happened on a recent campaign for online travel company, Orbitz. After launching the social media video campaign, we watched as thousands of Facebook comments started in a rapid-fire chain:

“I need you to know that I never fall for marketing gimmicks but I will absolutely use Orbitz now. Because you’re fabulous and I love you.”

“Never before in my 69 years have I seen a commercial I actually loved.”

“That was amazing! Forward this to Pepsi to tell them how to properly promote America.”

“Best travel commercial ever!!!! We really need this right now!”

And every five minutes, more of the same. And then more…. And more.

You might assume that the brand team was anonymously writing these gushing comments, but no one would dare write an insider comment filled with that much adoration… I mean, who would believe it was real? But it was happening.

To generalize, the overall feedback was this: In this world where everything seems two-sided, thank you for reminding us that the world is round, and if we get out and see it, we might just have fun again. Thank you for embracing diversity. And, as a consumer, I believe in a brand that believes in this ideal.

The intention of every marketing campaign, every bit of branded entertainment, is to connect with an audience in meaningful ways. I work with some of the smartest, most talented people in the business who do their jobs well. Still, we were taken with how deeply this campaign connected with people.

So, I’ve spent some time trying to dissect and process why this particular initiative activated its audience so intensely, so positively. We actually launched a bigger campaign on the exact same day, with celebrities, paid media across broadcast, Snapchat, and other social channels. And although it technically had more views and impressions, the comments and engagements were not as overwhelmingly positive as this Orbitz campaign.

Nothing in social is guaranteed, and even if you followed a checklist to a “t”, you might have different results. That said, one thing I see more often than ever before is that in the world of metrics and programmatic buying, we’re often forgetting some of the basics:

1) Work with authentic content creators. We’re fortunate to have partnerships with some of the most prolific entertainment content creators on the planet. For this project, we partnered with Todd Milliner and Sean Hayes’ production company, Hazy Mills, and they helped us give the brand team a gut-check on real entertainment value and what might alienate audiences.

2) Bring social influencers to a new party. Often, a marketer’s instinct is to simply have social stars do what they do, and then add in the brand. This is where the notion of influencer becomes tainted. We identified Randy Rainbow early-on, but rather than have Randy make one of his signature videos (which are hilarious, but polarizing), we integrated his talents, and that of his co-stars, to a different style of creative project. By doing something together, leveraging what each person does incredibly well, the message, concept, and celebrity talent blended seamlessly rather than feeling tacked on.

3) Inspire people by bringing unabashed entertainment to the mundane. Throughout our history, social and political unrest has been paired with a consumer increase in spending on entertainment. Audiences in stressful times are looking for escape or an affirmation that they are represented, are seen. With the Orbitz campaign, that meant identifying the most mundane (and often most annoying) part of travel, the TSA screening, and turning that into a musical.

4) Inclusivity doesn’t have to be exclusive. We were very careful to represent everyone in this campaign — from LGBT people, to those of various ages, abilities, religions and ethnicities. The message was positive, standing firm with the notion that diversity is what makes this world amazing. Get out and see it; you’ll be happy you did.

5) Stand for something you believe in. The problem with the Pepsi debacle was that they tried to represent standing for something while standing for nothing. You’ll always have support from consumers if you include a stand in your advertising, even if you’re just firm in your commitment to flexible returns or fresh ingredients. It doesn’t have to be political or partisan, but your audience needs to know that you have clear, core beliefs…because if you do, you make it easier for them to believe in you.

New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta – (SPW) – BARK BARK is excited to announce that it has signed CarolynReps for national representation for Branded Partnerships. The alliance follows BARK BARK’s recent expansion with some of the industry’s leading television content producers to provide diverse brand-integrated and supported content for advertisers.

“Carolyn and Amanda are the perfect connectors and communicators of our unique offering. Their combined industry experience under the CarolynReps banner is invaluable in uniting entertainment and brands,” explains Karen Grant, BARK BARK’s VP of Client Partnership, who will continue to manage distributor and media partnerships at the company. BARK BARK is known for providing strategy, creative, and production for such noted networks and brands as Warner Brothers, NBC Universal, Food Network, Viacom, Toyota, Target, Sprite, Absolut and more.

Based in New York City, CarolynReps has a history of representing some of the most creative and inspiring talent in the advertising business. According to Hill, “Brian Tolleson and the BARK BARK team have consistently had the vision of where the business is going next. Most brands have moved beyond the one spot at a time execution. Now it’s a matter of who can come up with content consumers are going to actually watch. That’s where BARK BARK shows its mastery.”

As a veteran of the commercial production industry, Carolyn Hill currently serves on the Association of Independent Commercial Producers East Coast Board. She is on the AICP Show Committee 2017 as well as a judge. Her production expertise spans complicated animation and VFX projects as well advising on live action and international production packages.

Amanda Rosenberg has over a decade of experience working in the ad world and entertainment industry. During her time as a freelance producer/ production coordinator, her wide variety of projects ranged from commercials to reality shows. Together, as CarolynReps, they harness vast and varied experience to represent a diverse range of companies producing award-winning advertising and entertainment.

READ THE COVERAGE
]]>Addy Award Winners!http://www.barkbark.com/2017-addy-awards/
Wed, 01 Mar 2017 17:09:36 +0000http://www.barkbark.com/?p=13498We’re thrilled to share that the BARK BARK team took home several accolades at last week’s Addy Awards show. Thanks also to our amazing client partners behind these projects.

February 13, 2017- LOS ANGELES, CA– Award-winning branded entertainment studio, BARK BARK, (barkbark.com) is excited to announce formal strategic partnerships with many of the industry’s foremost content creators in broadcast and digital entertainment. BARK BARK’s record of delivering marketing content now encompasses a powerful network of partners that cover every entertainment genre and demographic with global impact and multi-platform reach. This growing alliance of experts unites development, production, marketing, and digital teams with a single point of service via BARK BARK to lead entertainment initiatives and achieve measurable results.

Brian Tolleson, former MTVN Executive and BARK BARK’s Head of Content explains, “Content marketing’ and ‘Branded Content’ have unfortunately become icky buzzwords, which is a shame because we have this effective medium to deeply connect with consumers in our over-stimulated world.”

Tolleson, careful to avoid the hype himself, continues, “We certainly aren’t the only team delivering branded content, nor is branded content a new trend; in fact, that’s how the very origins of broadcast and digital entertainment were funded. But as brands and agencies build internal content teams that can’t always be genre experts, and as every marketer struggles with process and access for creating effective content, we’re here with a powerful, proven solution for any advertiser.”

Working hand-in-hand with marketers, distributors and its new collaborative partnerships, BARK BARK’s multi-office studio is able to deliver expertise at an intensified scale with the world’s leading content creators who are authentically reaching millions of viewers every day.

Said Pilgrim Media Group CEO Craig Piligian, “We’ve been fortunate at Pilgrim to continue to create and produce a wide range of compelling content in multiple genres for an array of networks. Still, it’s a challenging time in our business as audiences have more choices than ever and more ways to consume their favorite content, so alliances with brand experts like BARK BARK become a critical part of the package.”

“A successful brand partnership is the holy grail for producers as we all work to attract viewers transitioning to new platforms for their entertainment,” notes Charles Tremayne, President, Cineflix Productions. “At Cineflix we are excited to be partnering with the BARK BARK team who really understand these relationships so we can use our expertise in transactional, factual and lifestyle programming to produce first-class entertainment which reflects the brand images of our clients.”

Driving diversity with its partners is a key goal for BARK BARK, who has been a certified diverse supplier for over 10 years. “Among our partners, we have assembled an incredible range of genres and voices, from lifestyle to game shows, from action-packed docu-series to scripted dramas. We’ve engaged successful creators who run women-owned and minority-owned businesses. Diversity is crucial as we work with our clients to deliver and activate global audiences.”

For over a decade, BARK BARK has produced branded content and managed the marketer/content creator translation gap for broadcast, digital, social and VR/AR but are not involved in distribution or media end of the equation. This, Tolleson believes, is most effective in the hands of clients.

“The majority of brands, agencies, media agencies and distributors are wise experts at targeting their consumers, their audiences, even as those audiences are constantly in motion,” concludes Tolleson. “We’re not competing in media placement, distribution or buying. To get that right is its own full-time job. Where we excel is partnering with media, marketing, agency and creative teams to activate their consumer insight and delivering the effective, entertaining content needed to move targeted audiences to action.”

With offices in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta, BARK BARK works nationally and internationally for clients around the world. Find out more at barkbark.com/partners.

]]>TELLING ATLANTA’S STORYhttp://www.barkbark.com/telling-atlantas-story/
Tue, 24 Jan 2017 22:45:15 +0000http://www.barkbark.com/?p=13289Since the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games were held in Atlanta, Georgia, the Wayfinding Program has served visitors, residents, workers, and students as they navigate and explore our great city. As a much-needed street enhancement project, Midtown Alliance set out to redesign the panels so that they work more seamlessly and effectively to tell the story of Atlanta throughout Midtown.

Bark Bark worked with the Alliance to develop the overall look and design package for a rebrand of both the history panels and directional maps that were installed in 28 kiosks around Midtown. With content leadership from the Atlanta History Center and a team of historians, these colorful, curated exhibits feature vignettes of historical and cultural information about Midtown and the buildings, institutions, and characters within.

For the inauguration of the new panels, we celebrated with the community at the Margaret Mitchell House on Peachtree, one of many cherished historical buildings in Atlanta that remains in pristine condition. We’re incredibly humbled to have contributed to this revitalized public history exhibit and encourage you to check out the permanent collection.

MIDTOWN ATLANTA WAYFINDING SYSTEM MAP
]]>BARK BARK Featured on NPR Affilliate WABEhttp://www.barkbark.com/wabe-article/
Tue, 10 Jan 2017 16:31:49 +0000http://www.barkbark.com/?p=13215We’re proud to be featured by WABE for including philanthropic work as part of our business model in an effort to make an impact in the local communities we do business in. And it makes us happy that our clients appreciate it too!

Here’s a quick excerpt from the article:

“Founder Brian Tolleson says, each year, the company does a pro bono project. For instance, it developed an augmented reality app for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Tolleson says the chance to give back draws workers to the company: “For employees, I think, what motivates them in our work with nonprofits is just that we stand for something.”

He says charitable projects also help staff to be creative. When the High Museum of Art hosted a traveling exhibit of Vermeer’s famous “Girl with a Pearl Earring” painting, BARK BARK produced a television ad to promote it. It envisioned the girl as a modern celebrity, dashing through Atlanta to avoid admirers and paparazzi. That ad won BARK BARK an award and new businesses.

“At that award show, a client came up to us and said, ‘Oh, I saw what you did. We’d love to work with you on something very similar to that,'” Tolleson says.

BARK BARK now has so much business, it’s doubling the size of its office space. It’s also increasing its staff, so its ability to attract workers should come in handy.”

Read the Full Piece Here
]]>BARK BARK’s Tabitha Mason-Elliott Appointed AICP Southeast President & SE Regional Directorhttp://www.barkbark.com/tabitha-se-president/
Thu, 22 Dec 2016 19:49:38 +0000http://www.barkbark.com/?p=13143We’re very excited to announce that Bark Bark’s Head of Production, Tabitha Mason-Elliott, will serve as the Southeast Regional President and SE Director for the AICP National Board.
2017 AICP NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS ANNOUNCED
]]>Moon Shine Still has wrapped!http://www.barkbark.com/moon-shine-still/
Wed, 21 Sep 2016 21:46:38 +0000http://www.barkbark.com/?p=12563We’re excited to share that one of our talented in-house commercial directors, Takashi Doscher, has wrapped production on his feature film, “Moon Shine Still.”

A modern suspense drama rooted in Americana legend and folklore, this indie set in present-day Georgia follows a young hiker who stumbles onto an isolated farm after losing her way on the Appalachian Trail. She is taken in and cared for by a strange yet beautiful couple who appear desperate to protect a centuries-old secret hidden deep in the mountains.

In a historic partnership, the production is also collaborating with the Georgia Film Academy and the city of Columbus, GA to provide training and education to a new generation of Georgia filmmakers.

“We hope the film raises questions regarding modern definitions of love, marriage and monogamy. Are these concepts universal or simply a product of the limited amount of time we, as humans, have here on Earth.” – Takashi Doscher.